June 29, 2012

When I was younger, I remember every year when my family and I gathered together to celebrate the 4th of July.We watched local parades, caught some rays at the beach or at a pool, ate delicious barbeque and watched dazzling fireworks at a park or downtown by a river.As I get older, I always go back to my childhood memories.These days, I’m lucky if I get to a barbeque or the beach.And I haven’t been to a parade in several years.How are you all spending your 4th of July holiday this year? I don’t have any plans yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know.In any event, whatever you decide to do, you’ll want your outfit to be the perfect blend of style, stars and stripes.If you can’t think of anything to wear, you can’t go wrong with anything red, white or blue or anything with the American flag on it. I’ve also pulled together a list of 4th of July inspired clothing and accessories that will make you feel proud to be an American.For this week’s Fresh Pick to Follow, here are my top 10 red, white and blue pieces that you can wear to express your pride and patriotism. What do you guys think about all of these red, white and blue styles? Let me know!

June 28, 2012

A few weeks ago, my BF and I went to Atlanta to attend an engagement party for one of his best friends. I took a few pictures of my outfit, but I never had the chance to post them.I picked up this dress from Anthropologie for the occasion and I’m so glad that I did. I love the all of the colors and I love the stripes even more. I’m not sure about any of you, but there was a time in my life that I never bought any clothing with horizontal stripes on it.I believed in the myth that horizontal stripes will only make you look wider or even fat. Did any of you believe this too causing you shun these stripes like the plague for years?Well, over the past few years my love for stripes have grown and I’m not sure why.It could be all of the experimenting that I’ve been doing with my clothes and building my wardrobe.

Today, I find that horizontal stripes could be flattering on all body types, but you have to be careful on how you style them.There are so many tips to consider when thinking about wearing these stripes.For instance, you have to think about the size of the stripes – thin stripes vs. wide stripes; the spacing of the stripes; and the color contrast of the stripes.All of these things could create the perfect illusion that you are seeking.Another tip to consider is the placement of the stripes – if your heavy on the bottom heavy, wear stripes on the top with a solid color on the bottom and the opposite is true if you are heavier on the top.So, forget about the old myth and get that “I can’t wear that” mantra out of your head and just try it. You might end up liking horizontal stripes and start to have some fun with your wardrobe while you are at it.Do you wear horizontal stripes?Let me know what you think about these stripes.

June 25, 2012

I’m sure that many of you have heard by now that Tropical Storm Debby has been wreaking havoc all over the state of Florida. So far, 14 tornados have made landfall along with heavy rains, strong winds, and lots of flooding through out the state. This storm is a little unbelievable to me because Debby has parked itself on the west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, yet the entire state is affected. It’s been raining nonstop in my town, so much so that there several flood warnings that have been issued. There are even some towns that have been placed on stand by in case the city needs to evacuate the neighborhood. Forecasters have estimated as much as 15 to 25 inches of rainfall by the end of the week and raining until Friday. I’m not looking forward to a week of rain at all, but I’m ready for it. I have my galoshes packed, my trench coat on standby and my trusty umbrella ready to take on the torrential down pours that’s expected for the week. Although I’m ready for the rain, one thing I’m not ready for is the potential accidents and traffic. For some reason when it rains here it seems like people don’t know how to drive. Rush hour traffic is always backed up because of the increasing amounts of car accidents on the interstate. It never fails. I plan to avoid as much of it as possible this week. I plan to take it easy this week and go home after work when I can. Do any of you change up your daily routine when it rains – if so, how? How do you prepare for a rainy day or week?

June 22, 2012

Ahoy, mateys! Have you noticed all of the nautical themed clothing in the stores lately?Now that summer is in full swing, nautical styles have come out in full force. For example, J. Crew has some pretty amazing nautical clothes and accessories right now.This company is channeling the trend by making waves with some amazing patterns and setting anchors in various styles.One of my favorite pieces at J. Crew is the sequin Anchor Tank.It’s a classy and glamorous way to re-create the nautical trend.

Navigating the nautical trend is pretty easy. The trend is crisp and clean and you can pull off the look on any given summer day. You’ll just have to be sure not to go overboard with all of the stripes, anchors, ropes and knots. For this week’s Fresh Pick to Follow, here are my top 10 classic nautical pieces that you can incorporate into your wardrobe without having to anchor down your wallet. What do you guys think about all of these anchors styles? Have you checked out J. Crew’s summer collection yet? Let me know!